Lula welcomes back banned Venezuelan leader Maduro

President Nicolás Maduro has made his first visit to Brazil since he was banned by the former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro in 2019. 

Venezuela’s Maduro was welcomed by Brazil’s new leftist president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, ahead of a summit involving leaders from across Latin America in Brasilia.

Brazil’s Lula highlighted the significance of Maduro’s visit, stating it marked the beginning of the Venezuelan president’s return. He went on to say the visit marked the start of a “new era” in the bilateral relations between the two countries. 

Lula emphasised the need for the region to address poverty and took the opportunity to criticise the US sanctions on Venezuela. He says the sanctions were there due to a fabricated narrative of authoritarianism surrounding Venezuela and that the sanctions were unjustified. 

Several countries question the legitimacy of President Maduro, with opponents labelling him as a dictator. 

Maduro expressed openness to Brazilian investors and emphasized the importance of unity between the two countries, stating that they should be united “from now on and always.”